Stay
by Moxie Danger
Summary: Axel waits. Roxas is leaving. AkuRoku. Oneshot.


Axel stepped out into the night, breathing in the still night air and made his way down the street he knew so well. Not bothering to check his bearings, the redhead continued walking briskly, as if he was in a hurry to get somewhere. The scene looked simple enough, but if one were to look closer, turmoil and confusion were evident in his eyes. Emerald green eyes with a fierce battle clashing within them, the only sign of emotion emanating from the pyro. That is, if a Nobody could actually feel emotion.

Reaching his destination, he settled against a wall and prepared himself for a long wait. Looking around the deserted street, he noted that it was, unsurprisingly, deathly silent and rather dim as there were only a few streetlights randomly located along the way. He crossed his arms. Axel knew that he'd be passing by soon.

While waiting, the redhead made no attempt to stem the flow of memories that raced through his mind, memories that actually meant something to him. Scenes of past events flashed through his scattered thoughts, all involving a certain blonde. A boyish face, yet so mature at the same time. Small lips, often observed by the pyro as they curved downwards in displeasure, tightened and thinned in annoyance, smirked in amusement or on a rare occasion, all out laughed at something Axel said or did. Deep blue eyes that held so much depth, eyes so expressive and mesmerizing that Axel had, on many occasions, attempted to ingrain every flash of expression into his memory as well as he could. Sun-kissed hair, the most exotic shade of blonde that he had ever seen. Roxas.

How? How did this one Nobody creep into the non-existent heart of a pyromaniac? No, not just any Nobody.

Axel shook his head, running his gloved hands through his hair. A cynical chuckle escaped from him as he pondered the ridiculousness of the situation. Here he was, standing in one of the streets of The World That Never Was in the middle of the night, waiting for the 13th member of the organization, the Key of Destiny to pass by. For what reason, he still wasn't sure. The dual keyblader had not told anyone of his decision to leave the organization, not even Axel.

That hurt Axel. A lot. Even more than what anything or anyone else could do to him. But... why did it hurt? Axel stared into the shadows across the street. Maybe because it didn't wound him like a punch or a hit would. He could deal with physical wounds. A little cleaning, some rest and he'd be as good as new. Knowing that Roxas was planning to leave without even letting him know created a twisting, sickening feeling in his gut. This somewhat angered the pyro. Feeling? Nobodies don't feel, everyone knows that. It's common knowledge. Axel had an overwhelming urge to hit himself, punch the foreign something he felt building up where his heart should be at the mere thought of Roxas leaving. It was painful and downright confusing, to say the least. _If I can't feel, then what is this..._ Axel randomly searched his vocabulary for a proper word _...feeling? _Something seemed to click. There was no other way to describe it. Axel was _feeling_. Now then, what was this emotion supposed to be? Delving deeper, he numbly decided that it was sadness and disappointment.

_Roxas is probably stepping out of his room right now thinking that nobody knows he's leaving. Confident that no one will notice._ Axel growled and punched the wall. His fist was throbbing and the leather knuckles of his glove were skinned. _Do I mean that little to him? Did he think I wouldn't realize he was going until he was gone?_ He punched the wall several times for good measure and took a deep breath, willing himself to calm down, quelling the urge to scream in anger or break down in misery. The redhead leaned against the wall again and closed his eyes, shutting out the bleak view of the empty street. Axel folded his arms once more, trying to ignore the churning, gut-wrenching feeling within him.

_He thought no one would know. Idiot. I can read that keyblade-wielding kid like a book filled with pictures. The obviousness of his silent decision was enough to suffocate me._ He frowned, realizing that none of the organization members had noticed. Not even Xemnas, the superior, or Saix, the good-for-nothing Nobody whiner. Axel cocked his head to the side, sparing two seconds to dwell on this little fact and then disregarded the whole thing. There was nothing to ponder.

He let out a noise of frustration and once again attempted to relax, deciding there was no point in getting worked up over the blindness and stupidity of the other members. Axel made to psycho himself into a semi-doze while waiting for the dual keyblader. He succeeded, or so it seemed. Just by looking at the fiery redhead, one would never be able to tell that there were enough thoughts and emotions swirling within him to make a slab of stone crack.

Footsteps. Axel didn't move from his spot, giving the outward appearance of one who hadn't heard anything. His head was still lowered, limiting his vision to the floor of the street which was momentarily obscured by black boots and a swish of the black Organization robes. If the being noticed the seemingly dozing pyro, he didn't show it in the least. Not pausing in his stride, he kept walking straight ahead. The flicker in his steadfast gaze towards the redheaded figure was barely noticeable.

"Your mind's made up?" Axel's voice cut through the silence smoothly, his voice steady, barely portraying the swell of emotion within him as he watched the blonde's retreating back. Roxas stopped walking and stood still, not wanting to turn around. He refused to allow himself to let Axel get to him. He mentally kicked himself,_ Won't let him get to me? It's a little too late for that._

Frantically attempting to convince Roxas to stay, Axel let out a stream of ridiculous reasons, all having to do with the Organization. Roxas didn't move. Axel knew it was stupid and cowardly of him to spew brainless excuses like that but he couldn't help it. Roxas tilted his head ever so slightly and waited for the pyro to stop blathering.

"No one would miss me," Roxas stated, throat closing. He started walking again, his steps looking sure and strong. He didn't want to turn around. He didn't _trust himself_ to turn around. Just a glance at the redhead, even from a distance would break his resolve. A resolve that was already starting to crumble away. The keyblader thought he heard Axel say something, but he didn't stop to make sure.

"That's not true!" Axel said in righteous indignation and looked down dejectedly. "I would."

The pyro felt his eyes getting hot and he swallowed in an attempt to prevent his eyes from spilling even a drop of the liquid that glossed over his eyes, blurring his vision. _He's heading towards the end of the street_, Axel realized. _Once he turns that corner I'll never be able to find him._

Panic. Unmistakable panic flooded Axel like a writhing, retaliating beast. It spurred Axel forward, racing towards the person that meant everything to him, Axel's frantic mind experienced a brief jolting phase. Roxas wasn't just a friend or a somebody to Axel. _He's more than that, so much more. I'd do anything for him, I'd do anything to make him happy. Roxas is everything I live for. Roxas is __**life**._

"Roxas, wait!" Axel yelled as he caught up with the blonde. Grabbing Roxas' shoulders, he spun the keyblader around to face him. It could've been the spur of the moment, and action out of desperation or something the pyro had wanted to do for a long time now. Whether or not there was a reason, it didn't matter. One glance into deep blue orbs and the redhead felt himself falling, drowning in them. Axel kissed him.

Blue eyes widened in surprise as green eyes closed. Roxas shoved Axel away. "What the hell are you doing?" he hissed, valiantly ignoring the tingle on his lips and suppressing a shiver that threatened to run through him.

Confidence taking over him, Axel grinned. "Kissing you."

He leaned down and captured Roxas' lips once more, holding the blonde's face firmly but gently with his hands. A surge of triumph coursed through Axel as Roxas' eyelids slipped shut and he followed suit. The pyro pressed his lips harder against Roxas', the feel of them soft and warm against his own invoking a strange mix of light-headedness and mild pleasure. Axel slid his hand to grip Roxas' shoulder as he whispered,"Stay..." against Roxas' slightly parted lips.

Roxas' eyes opened slowly, as if waking up from a dream, and pulled away, albeit reluctantly. His expressive blue orbs displaying a host of mixed emotions. Emotions he wasn't supposed to have, feelings that weren't supposed to exist in a Nobody. "We're not supposed to be able to feel but... What are you doing to me?" Roxas whispered, more to himself than an actual question. Axel gazed at Roxas, cupping one side of his face gently with his hand. A silent message passed between them, words unspoken, simply not needed. The redhead swept his thumb across Roxas' cheek and whispered in his ear, "Do you feel that? The jolt when I touch you so simply, the swell in your heart? That's what I feel."

Roxas didn't even have to contemplate it, he didn't remember nor did he care to remember why he wanted to leave the pyro in the first place. Being here with Axel, being _anywhere_ with Axel was never too much for Roxas, he filled the part of the keyblader that was missing. He always did. Roxas was just too stubborn to realize it before._ When Axel's with me, I don't feel...empty. Somewhere along our friendship, I think I-_

Gloved hands reached up and held Axel's face. Locking gazes with the firestarter for a split second before pulling him closer and sealing their lips together, somewhat roughly.

Axel stiffened in shock and relaxed almost immediately, arms winding around Roxas to hold him. The pyro felt Roxas' hands running through his red spikes and he smiled against the keyblader's lips. A burst of laughter escaped Axel and he tightened his hold on the boy before him. Axel kissed him again and placed his chin on the blond's head. An immaculate rush of happiness threatened to burst from him. But it was strange, it felt like... "It feels like my heart is breaking, but I'm not sad. If I have a heart, that is," Axel chuckled. "Still, heart or not, I-"

Roxas cut him off, "Axel, I have to go. I can't stay with the organization."

Axel's face fell, then closed. He released the blond and took a step back. A tornado of hurt, disappointment and misery swept up inside of him, beginning to pull him apart from the inside. Roxas reached out and took Axel's hand. "You idiot. You're coming with me."

A few seconds of silence crawled by. "You mean, I'm taking _you_ with me," Axel stated as a matter-of-factly. His face grew serious. "Don't ever do that again. What the hell were you thinking? Making me lose my mind then bring me back in two seconds." They started laughing, filling the quiet street with life.

Axel caught Roxas' eye and abruptly, their laughter dissipated into the cool night air. A strange sort of tension rose between them. Roxas' lips felt dry all of a sudden. He slowly licked his lips in an attempt to moisten the drying skin.

Green eyes flashed at the innocent yet enticing gesture displayed by the younger boy. Catlike eyes followed the brief movement of his tongue, then looked up to meet Roxas' gaze, sweeping his gaze pass Roxas' reddish-tinged cheeks. Breathing between the both of them got shallow. Pulling Roxas closer, Axel leaned down, lips millimeters away from the keyblader's, eyes never breaking their gaze on the blue orbs.

He smirked.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Well, there it is. My first attempt at an actual one-shot. Cliché topic of choice, I know. But I couldn't help it!

It was written a couple of months ago and dumped somewhere on my desk. I was cleaning up earlier today and reread the whole thing, made some changes and decided to post it. I know it's short, I never meant it to be long in the first place but yeah.

Thank you so much for reading and have a nice day, people! :)

Love,

Be


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